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TikTok is one of the most popular social video apps in the world with a user base of just over half a billion comprised of mostly teenagers and millennials. What might not be a well known is that TikTok is only one of about 12 apps owned by a Chinese startup called Bytedance. Valued at $75 billion, Bytedance is the worlds most valuable startup followed by Uber at $72 billion. Through a program of smart acquisitions and strategic expansions (e.g. Musical.ly), Bytedance has exploded on to global markets. Their rise to the global stage has not been without its share of problems. Their news aggregator app, Toutiao, ran afoul of original content publishers and caused a flurry of copyright lawsuits. In addition, government and regulatory issues continue to plague Bytedance as it struggles to find its place alongside other Chinese internet companies like Alibaba and Baidu.
Discussion Questions and Answers:
- How has Bytedance, the parent company of the hit video app TikTok, managed to achieve such success outside of China?
2.How has the use of artificial intelligence (AI) contributed to the success of Bytedances stable of offerings?
3.There are three giant Internet companies in China; Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent, also know as B.A.T. How did a startup like Bytedance manage to achieve successes like Toutiao and TikTok without the support of B.A.T.?
4.What challenges face Bytedance, and its owner Zhang Yiming, in maintaining its momentum in the face of intense competition from local and international potential rivals?
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